My 2 cents, I agree with everyone that says shop around , I looked at 3 dealerships in my area and found about a $4,000 difference on basically the same 09 Road King that I purchased .Truthfully I was treated equally well by each salesperson ,we toured the dealerships service dept. and everyone was more than happy to answer any questions I had . I would have bought a bike from any of the 3 dealerships but not with a 4k disparity . I purchased a used 09 RK and the thing I noticed at all of the dealers they had a lot of inventory to move . Some want to sell some don"t .

 

Id bet that they all want to sell, but id put my money on it that most want to gain a profit out of moving 1 unit vs a small amount on 4 units

 

It's definitely a buyers market right now. Especially the last week in January. Shop around, there are some screamin' deals to be found. If a dealer is "all in", and that number doesn't match what you're willing to pay, simply move on. No guilt, no worries, no problem. If he doesn't want to sell it for what you're willing to pay, you're both better off by just going somewhere else. I agree with someone above that said their job is to get as much as they can for the bike, and your job is to get the best bike for the least amount of money. If they happen to come together, great....if not then just move on. Don't let em lay a guilt trip on ya. Moms all over the world have been using that technique for years and years to get their kids to do what they want. It's a trap! LoL

 

What is the name of the dealer?

 

Recently, a local dealer quoted me $22,400.00 OTD for a '09 RK w/ABS & security. I think I'm going to shop around.

 

Well they can only offer him 16k so they can sell it for 19-20

 

timvan ,your correct - dealers do want to sell and a dealer does have the right to determine their profit margin . My point was I felt comfortable at all 3 dealers and wouldn't have hesitated to make a purchase at any of the 3 dealers for the "right" price . The dealer I bought my bike from I'm sure is considered a "small" dealer but he is selling quite a few new and used bikes but still has a considerable inventory . It does amaze me that in this economy HD's are selling as well as they are . I assume It's because H.D. buyers are a little older and more established versus the crotch rocket buyers . Oh yeh , I didn't go with the lowest offer but the bike I bought was the one for me . I also had a clean deal in that I wasn't trading a bike in and cash in hand . Shop around ,they all want to sell but do you want to buy and at what price . Whatever anyone buys enjoy the ride .

 

I never buy "new", so maybe I shouldn't even comment here, but that has seldom stopped me before. I've found that when it comes to vehicle sales of most types, a lot has to do with the individual salesperson. Most dealers' sales forces operate under an overarching business ethos, but under those guidelines, individual salespeople often have fairly wide latitude in how they negotiate price or structure deals.

Past dealings with several less-than-ethical salesmen, have completely soured me to the whole process and its seemingly all-pervasive "gamesmanship"...no thanks! I'm happy to save many thou$and$ and forego "new bike smell" in order to avoid the aforementioned depreciation hit that accompanies it. Both my Wide and King were less than two years old when I bought them, with 546 and 13K miles, respectively. I got a great bargain on the Wide, and practically stole the King (details in sig). As argued above, one could look at a "used" purchase as priming the pump for "new" replacement. It's all point of view, I s'pose.

I'd never fault someone for wanting or buying "new"...power to 'em; they'll appreciate and enjoy aspects of ownership I'll never know. Getting an amazing deal is what floats the boat of this CAS*.

In those rare moments when I fantasize about buying the latest, greatest right off the showroom floor, I would still decide first what I was willing to pay, go up to the first salesperson I saw, offer that much, and browse the showroom for the 10 minutes (max!) I'd wait for them to return with a yes/no answer. I guess the "game" is what I find most distasteful. Sorry for my rambling. Good luck.

 

No one should complain about the trade in value offered on any deal. Trading is a convenience for us, Not a money maker for us. You are nearly always going to be better buying outright and selling your bike if it's within your ability financially.
I know it's not always possible.
However if you trade, the dealer is going to work from MSRP #s on the bike. ANd you negociate for a better value on your trade. I am sure most of you know this,, Sorry if I am stating the obvious.
Big Saint Charles HD was pushing a trade for me, my bikes (2k FXST with 45k miles on it) trade in value was 5500.00(According to their book, NADA?) Not sure what they use. Anyway, they were offering 3k over "book" value. They offered me 8580.00 trade off the SG. It was still going to be something like 13,--- difference. That is when I started thinking a cash deal would be better. So I got the bike for 17,500.00 OTD for my 2010 SG with ABS, Cruise, and Security.
I like to think I can sell my bike for around 7,500.00 this spring. I'll wait and see what happens.

 

I paid less for my 09 Ultra in Sept of 2008